Sampler for viscous material



R. D- BICKNELL SAMPLER FOR VISCOUS MATERIAL Aug. 5, 1969 Filed June 5, 1967 4. Tn 3 mm 0 0 M 2 United States Patent 3,459,048 SAMPLER FOR VISCOUS MATERIAL Robyn D. Bicknell, Midland, Mich., assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 5, 1967, Ser. No. 643,625 Int. Cl. G01n 1/10 US. Cl. 73425.4 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sampler for highly viscous materials which comprises: a cone shaped receiver cup; at least two parallel spaced apart support rods forminga handle at one end and securely fastened to the cup at the other ends; a cone shaped cover slidably engaged to the support rods and mating with the cup, and a guide rod securely attached to the cover to raise and lower it.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is desirable sometimes to be able to obtain samples of various highly viscous slurries wherein the sample consists completely of material obtained from below the surface of the slurry. This is especially true in sampling various highly viscous slurry explosives. Highly viscous materials of the type being sampled will not generally fill an open cup sampler and remain in the cup upon extraction of the cup from the material being sampled. The present invention affords the sampling of viscous materials and eliminates the disadvantages and problems heretofore encountered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present sampler comprises: at least two parallel spaced apart support rods securely affixed at one end to form a handle; a cylindrical shaped receiving cup having a cone shaped bottom, said cup securely attached to the other ends of the support rods; a cone shaped mating cover slidably attached to the support rods, and a guide rod securely fastened to the cover, running parallel to the support rods and slidably engaged through the handle whereby the cover can be raised and lowered with respect to the receiver cup.

DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 presents one embodiment of the sampler.

FIGURE 2 shows in detail one embodiment of the cone shaped cover as slidably atfixed to the support rods and securely aflixed to the guide rod.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the cone shaped receiver cup of the depicted embodiment as aflixed to the support rods.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation partly in section of one embodiment of the handle portion of the sampler.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The sampler consists essentially of at least two parallel spaced apart support rods forming a handle 11 at the one end. A cylindrical receiver cup 12 having a cone shaped bottom, the apex of said cone shaped bottom extending outwardly below said cup, is securely fastened to the other ends of the support rods 10. A mating cone shaped cover 13 is slidably engaged to the support rods 10, the apex of the cover 13 being directed away from the receiver cup 12. A guide rod 14 running parallel 'to the support rods 10 is securely mounted to the cover and slidably engaged through the handle 11 for raising and lowering the cover 13 in respect to the receiver cup 12.

At least one support member 15 can be positioned intermediate to the cover 13 and handle 11 to prevent a twisting of the support rods 10 when samples are being taken.

It is usually preferred that the cone shaped bottom of the cup 12 be provided with an aperture 16 at its apex, i.e. forming a truncated cone, to facilitate cleaning of the receiver cup 12. Ordinarily, this aperture 16 is of a relatively small diameter as compared to the diameter of the cup 12.

When the receiver cup 12 is provided with an aperture 16 the guide rod 14 is securely affixed to the cover 13 and extends therethrough so as to mate and seal the aperture 16 when the cover 13 is in a closed position with the cup 12. The aperture 16 should have a diameter such that the guide rod 14 will snugly fit and seal the aperture when the cover 13 is closed and mating with the receiver cup 12 to prevent a leakage of the material being sampled.

The support rods 10 and guide rod 14 usually are constructed of tubing. When constructed of tubing the support rods are usually sealed at the ends attached to the receiver cup 12 and beveled at their bottom so as to not to restrain the insertion of the sampler into a viscous material to be sampled.

The guide rod 14 can also be sealed at the end which mates with the aperture 16 in the receiver cup 12. It is preferred, however, that the end be left unsealed. In the latter case, the rod ordinarily is provided with a series of apertures 17 positioned near the handle portion of the rod. In this manner entrapped air in the receiver cup 12 is displaced through the guide rod 14 when material being sampled is filling the cup 12. By adapting the hollow guide rod 14 in this manner, the material being sampled more readily and completely fills the receiver cup 12.

The handle 11 can be formed in a number of different ways. One means is to bend the support rods 10 at the ends opposite to the receiver cup 12 to form an approximately right angle with the main direction of the rods. Another means of forming the handle is depicted in FIG- URE 4 wherein pieces of rods 18, usually of the same diameter as the support rods, are securely afiixed to the ends of the support rods 10 to form a right angle with the rods 10. A plate 19, having an aperture 20 with a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the guide rod 14, is securely affixed to the handle rods 18 so as to prevent the support rods 10 from twisting during a sampling operation and positioned so as to allow the guide rod 14 to move freely through the aperture 20 in the plate 19.

The guide rod 14 can also be provided with a handle 21 if desired. This handle may be constructed in a manner similar to that previously indicated for the handles 18 on the support rods 10.

The present sampler is constructed of materials which are substantially inert to the materials to be sampled and which are sufficiently strong so as to prevent a bending or breaking during sampling. Plastic, metals and other like sturdy construction materials can be employed.

The size of the sampler and the quantity of material withdrawn from a material source varies with an individual operators needs.

It has been indicated that tubing may be employed in the construction of the support rods and guide rod. However, solid bars may also be employed if desired.

The cone shaped cover 13 can be slidably afiixed to the support rods in a variety of ways. One means is shown in FIGURE 2 and consists of guide tubings 22 having a diameter sufficiently larger than the support rods 10 so as to allow an easy and non-binding sliding of the cover 13 along the rods 10.

Various methods may be employed in constructing the sampler. It is usually preferred to construct the various joints and parts by welding, however, rivet fasteners, bolts and nuts, adhesives, and other like means can be employed.

In operation, the cover 13 is placed in a closed position, as shown in FIGURE 1, and the sampler is pushed into a viscous material to be sampled, erg. a slurry explosive, until the entire cover 13 and receiver cup 12 are positioned below the surface of the material to be sampled. The distance below the surface to which the sampler should be placed will vary with the depth and viscosity of the particular material to be sampled and also the size of the sampler being employed. After the sampler is positioned below the surface of the viscous material, the cover 13 is raised by pulling up the guide rod 14. The material is allowed to fill the void created, thus filling the receiver cup 12, and the cover 13 is then lowered to close the assembly and the sampler is withdrawn from the material. The cover is raised and the sample removed from the receiver cup.

What is claimed is:

1. A slurry sampler which comprises:

(a) at least two parallel spaced apart support members forming a handle at one end;

(b) a cylindrical shaped receiver cup securely affixed to the other end of the support members and having a cone shaped bottom extending outwardly below the cup, said cone shaped bottom having an aperture positioned at the apex of the cone;

(c) a cone shaped cover slidably engaged to the support members above the cup, the apex of the cover facing away from the cup and the cover mating with the receiver cup when the cover is in a lowered position; and

(d) a guide member running parallel to the support members and being securely affixed to and extending through the cover to raise and lower the cover in respect to the receiver cup and mating with and sealing the aperture when the cover is in a closed position with the receiver cup.

2. The slurry sampler as defined in claim 1 wherein the guide member and the support members are constructed of tubing; the support members are sealed and beveled at the ends attached to the cup; the guide member is open at the end mating with the aperture in the cup, and the guide member has a plurality of apertures positioned near the other end of the guide member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 605,146 6/1898 Stokes 73-425.4 2,189,238 2/1940 Benjamin 73-425.4 2,255,369 9/1941 Spaeth 73-4215 2,331,227 10/1943 Proudlock 73-4252 X S. CLEMENT SWISHER, Primary Examiner 

